Changes to RBH and council services over Christmas and New Year

Details of the council’s and Rochdale Boroughwide Housing's opening times and service changes over the Christmas and New Year holidays have been confirmed.

A number of non-critical services will not be available from 4pm on Tuesday 24 December until Thursday 2 January, although emergency phonelines will be in operation throughout. To contact the council urgently during the holidays the emergency telephone number is 0300 303 8875.

Plans are in place to ensure roads are gritted and kept clear, should the wintry weather take a turn for the worse, and staff will be on standby in the event of an emergency.

Full details of the changes are available at: www.rochdale.gov.uk/Christmas

Some waste and recycling collection dates will change.

• Bins due to be collected on Wednesday 25 December will be collected on Friday 27 December.
• Bins normally collected on Thursday 26 December will be collected on Saturday 28 December.
• Bins normally collected on Friday 27 December will be collected on Monday 30 December.
• Bin collection days from Wednesday 1 January until Friday 3 January have moved to the following day so put your bin out a day later than usual.

There is no change to collections due to be made on Tuesday 31 December. Normal waste collection services resume from Monday 7 January.

The council will collect extra recycling waste only, extra bags of general waste will not be collected. Please ensure paper and cardboard are flattened and secured next to your bin and that mixed recycling (glass, plastic bottles and cans) are in a clear container next to the bin. Large items such as cardboard boxes should be folded down to make them as manageable as possible. 

After Christmas you can recycle your real tree by putting it inside your brown bin. Remove the base and decorations and chop it down so it fits in your bin.  The trunk must be thinner than your wrist and the bin lid needs to close. Alternatively, you can take it to one of 6 recycling points located across the borough, or to one of the household waste and recycling centres. 

Christmas tree recycling points

• Castleton Community Centre Car Park, Manchester Road, Castleton.
• Bentley Street, opposite Clarence Street, Rochdale - spare ground.
• Bank Top or Cherwell Avenue, Heywood - open space.
• ​Kirkway, just off Grimshaw Lane, Middleton.
• Norden Bus Terminus Play Area, Edenfield Road, Rochdale.
• Wildhouse Lane, Milnrow - lay-by area.

The council contact centre will be open from 8.30am to 4pm on Friday 27 December, Monday 30 December and Tuesday 31 December. For all times between these dates only the emergency phone line will be available.

A wide range of different issues can be reported at: www.rochdale.gov.uk/forms

Libraries and customer service points are open until 4pm on Tuesday 24 December then close until Thursday 2 January.

Adult Care will continue to deliver services for vulnerable people throughout the Christmas period. A team of staff will be working to deal with emergencies and ensure people are supported and cared for in an emergency.

Sure Start Children’s Centres are open as usual up to Tuesday 24 December (please check timetables for the individual centres) and then closed - with the exception of well-baby clinics and pre-booked antenatal/post-natal appointments - until Thursday 2 January 2020.

Children’s social care services will continue to operate throughout and can be contacted on 0300 303 0440. To report a concern about a child or adult outside of working hours, at weekends or during Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day, contact the Emergency Duty Team on 0300 303 8875. If it’s an emergency, dial 999 and ask for the police.

Household Waste Centres (Chichester Street, Rochdale and Spring Vale, Middleton) are open every day apart from Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Rochdale Town Hall and Clock Tower Dining Room are closed to the public from 21 December until Thursday 2 January 2019. ​

There will be some changes to the opening hours of Link4Life leisure centres including Heywood Sports Village, Middleton Arena and Rochdale Leisure Centre – together with Touchstones Arts and Heritage Centre in Rochdale. For more details contact your local centre or visit: www.link4life.org

Hollingworth Lake café and toilets are open every day except Christmas Day. The visitor centre closes on Christmas Eve at 3.30pm and will open again on Saturday 4 January at 10am. The visitor centre will also be open on New Year's Eve from 10am to 3.30pm.

Rochdale Register Office is closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. It opens on Saturday 28 December from 10am to 2pm and then again on Monday 30 and Tuesday 31 December. From Thursday 2 January it will be open as normal.

Council Leader Allen Brett said: “Many of our services continue to operate over the festive season and I want to reassure residents, particularly those who are elderly and vulnerable that we are still here for them, especially the emergency frontline services that people need most. 

"But there will be changes for many other services so please do check before travelling to libraries, leisure centres and other popular activities. Details are available online so do visit our website and of course we’ll update it if there are any last minute changes.

"Some services have amended opening times, but as always we have emergency numbers available throughout the holidays so you can contact us if it’s urgent. I would also like to take this opportunity to wish everyone all the very best for Christmas and the new year.”

Full details of service changes are available at:

• www.rochdale.gov.uk/Christmas

Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH)

RBH closes for normal business on Tuesday 24 December 2019 at 4pm and reopens on Thursday 2 January 2020 at 8am.

The customer centre at St Alban’s House closes at 4pm on Tuesday 24 December 2019 and reopens on Thursday 2 January 2020 at 9am.

An emergency repairs line operates 24/7 throughout the festive period on Freephone 0800 027 7769.

The RBH homelessness team are available on 0300 303 8548 on the 27, 30 and 31 December. For homelessness enquiries at other times over Christmas, please call the Rochdale Council emergency duty team on 0300 303 8875.

Non-urgent repairs can be reported by email on rbh.repairs@rbh.org.uk and non-urgent general enquiries on customerexperience@rbh.org.uk - the team will respond to these non-urgent enquiries on their return from 2 January.